


Shaking

by helsinkibaby



Series: Partners [10]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Caitlin is a cop, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Het, Partners to Lovers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 07:39:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6648346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe realises the hard part about being a cop in Central City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shaking

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend challenge : episode titles.  
> Mine was "The Hard Part" (Heroes)

Joe is fond of saying that the hard part of being a cop in Central City lately is going up against meta humans. Bank robbers, drug dealers, even small time thieves, he knows how to handle those. People who can manipulate the weather, manipulate people into doing their will, people who can teleport from one place to the next - they never covered that at the academy. And they sure as hell haven't invented a way to make a daily report sound plausible. 

He remembers a few months ago, sitting in a car on a stakeout with his partner and remarking that he was looking forward to not having to write a report that sounded like something out of an episode of Star Trek. Caitlin had smiled at him and nodded her agreement and the world had gone on like normal, or as normal as their world got when they were partners on the job and something else off it and they were still trying to figure out just what. 

He remembers that today and he can't believe how wrong he was. Because today, he'd come across just the sort of case he'd been wishing for, a bank robbery, a hostage situation, not a meta human in sight. 

And when the smell of cordite was thick in the air and his ears were ringing to the sound of gunfire, he was lying on the floor, Caitlin underneath him, his body covering hers. One glance up at the wall behind them showed a bullet hole in the plaster, exactly where Caitlin's forehead would have been if he hadn't pushed her out of the way. He'd stared at it, knowing exactly what that meant and when he'd looked down at Caitlin, he'd seen that knowledge in her eyes too. 

That, he now knows, is the hard part about him being a cop in Central City lately. 

Because he's already lost one partner to this job and, hard as it was to bury Fred, he knows now, since looking at that bullet hole and maybe even before, that he doesn't want to lose Caitlin. 

More than that. 

He can't lose Caitlin. 

The hard part about realising that is that they actually do work together and there are certain formalities that have to be observed, not least of which is the fact that their personal, off the clock relationship has to take second place to their professional relationship. She has to get checked out for concussion, he has to write up a report about what happened and how it all went south so quickly and even if Singh does know about them and is pointedly ignoring it, his captain can't let him go to hospital with her, telling Joe somewhat apologetically that he's needed at the precinct. Joe has to make do with receiving a shaky smile from Caitlin, giving her a pat on the shoulder like a partner would, instead of pulling her into his arms and holding her tight like he really wants to. 

He'd be lying if he said his report was given his full attention but it's enough to pass muster with Singh and Joe barely pauses for breath before grabbing his jacket with one hand and texting, one handed, with the other. 

"You home?" is all he sends. 

He's barely had time to get to his car before there's an answering beep. "Come over?"

Like he needs that invitation. 

He pushes the speed limit the whole way there - he has his badge but stopping to show it would eat up precious minutes that could be better spent. He parks in the first spot he finds, is too impatient to wait for the elevator, taking the stairs two at a time. That's what he blames for the way his heart is hammering when he reaches her door but he doesn't take the time to compose himself, instead raps smartly on her door. 

When she opens the door, her face is a mask of confusion. "Why didn't you use your key?" she asks and he's already stepping inside before he answers, reaching for her greedily, pulling her into his arms. 

"Would've taken too long," he tells her and she huffs a laugh against his neck as she buries her face in his shoulder. She's holding him tightly, so tightly that he can't miss how cold she is and he frowns, pulls back a little. "You're freezing." 

A smile that's the furthest thing from humour he's ever seen twists her lips. "Cisco's texted me five times since it happened," she tells him. "He's never seen readings like this since I've had the implant. We're hoping it's a blip because of today... if it's like this tomorrow, I'll go over..." Her voice trails off and her eyes flutter shut as his hands move to her cheeks, down to her neck. Her lip drops open and she draws in a shuddering breath. "You're so warm." One of her hands closes over his wrist and she opens her eyes, a tiny frown appearing between her eyebrows. "You're shaking." 

"Today..." His voice trails off and he drops his head so that their foreheads are touching. "It was too close." 

She nods, short sharp jerks of her head that result in the barest loss of contact. "You saved my life," she whispers as she leans up and brings her lips to his. 

After that, there is no need for talking because, cold and shaking or not, the kiss ignites a fire in them both that cannot be denied. Her arms wind around his neck as his tongue sweeps across her lips and he only becomes aware that they're moving when her back impacts with the wall. He doesn't break the kiss as his fingers begin to fuss with buttons and belts and her own do likewise, both of them observing an unspoken agreement that, at the moment, moving  the minimum clothing required is perfectly acceptable. He groans as he feels her surround him, she moans as he moves,  thrusts up against her in a fast and steady rhythm. Their eyes are locked on one another,  both unable to look away and she's the one who breaks first, throwing her head back with a guttural cry as she shatters around him. He follows her almost immediately after, his shout of release muffled against her hair and then he kisses her again and again and again, showing her all the words he can't say. 

She's the one who speaks first, her breath warm - mercifully warm, deliciously warm - against his neck. "You're still shaking." 

There's a teasing smile in her voice and he laughs in response. "The good kind," he promises and her answering laugh is low arms throaty. It's cut off sharply though as he lifts her in his arms, carrying her down the hall as he kisses her again. After all, he's not some twenty year old kid and if he's going to make her shake some more, he'd much rather have the comfort of her bed. 

She kisses him back, so he's fairly sure she understands. 


End file.
